Reacting to yesterday’s High Court ruling, Vax managing director Simon Lawson said the decision ‘means that the achievements of our young, talented British design team have been recognised’.

Dyson says in a statement, ‘The judgment is disappointing. Large round wheels, the angle of the clear bin, the line of the handle – does TTI’s Vax-badged machine resemble Dyson’s design?’

The statement continues, ‘Admittedly, this is a 16-year-old design and Dyson’s engineering team has moved on… but what is the point of UK registered design law, if not to protect novel and striking designs?’